


Break Me Shake Me

by starry_n1ght



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Hogwarts, Light Angst, One Shot, Sad Ending, Song Lyrics, Wordcount: 1.000-5.000, Written Pre-Deathly Hallows, Written Pre-Half Blood Prince
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:22:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28223820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starry_n1ght/pseuds/starry_n1ght
Summary: Ginny Weasley hated him. Draco Malfoy wasn't even somewhat nice, ever, until now. Ginny couldn't believe it. A Malfoy being nice won't last for long though.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Ginny Weasley
Comments: 1
Kudos: 3





	Break Me Shake Me

**Author's Note:**

> This is a one-shot songfic with lyrics from "Break Me Shake Me" by Savage Garden. Originally published on FFN July 2004. The story was written before HBP and DH (it's not compliant with those books). It takes place during the last months of Ginny's sixth year and Draco's seventh year at Hogwarts. 
> 
> I do not own anything Harry Potter related nor do I own the song "Break Me Shake Me."

Ginny Weasley hated and despised him for years. He was cruel to her family every chance he got. He tormented everyone that meant something to her. He constantly gave the Gryffindors trouble. She couldn't stand him. He was so harsh all the time, she never thought that maybe he wasn't what everyone thought he was. He was Draco Malfoy, son of a Death Eater, the enemy. For all she knew, he was the most annoying git of all time.

Then one day, unexpectedly, she caught a glimpse of something different, something about him that definitely wasn't the same boy who she thought she knew. Before that, she didn't even know him besides the rude remarks that he said to her and others.

It was during dinner time, Ginny wasn't hungry since she'd already eaten some before, and she decided to skip dinner in the Great Hall. She went to the Hogwarts lake for some quiet time instead. She sat and watched the sky turn red and pink as the sun set. It felt so nice for her to take a moment and enjoy the fresh air.

He had seen her sitting next to the lake under the sunset. She looked calm and peaceful, and maybe that's why he decided to go up and talk to her. He would never be certain about what made him do it.

"Well, if it isn't the littlest Weasley. Why aren't you at dinner sitting with Potter? Does he bore you?" Draco Malfoy asked out as he walked to where Ginny was sitting on the ground. He stopped only a few feet to the side of her.

Ginny sighed, talking to Malfoy was the last thing she wanted to do at the moment. She looked up at him with her eyes narrowed. "Why do you care, Malfoy?" Ginny asked in the not-so-nice tone of voice she used whenever she talked to him.

"Just curious. Can't a guy wonder?" The way Draco said that made Ginny pause. He said it in such an out of character voice.

"Er, yeah, I guess," Ginny replied hesitantly, something wasn't right. "Why aren't you at dinner? Are you up to something?" she questioned him.

"Oh yes, being the evil Slytherin and Malfoy that I am, I must be up to something," Draco said with the usual Malfoy smirk on his face.

"I bet you are."

"You know Weasley, just because I'm a Malfoy, it doesn't mean I'm necessarily _evil_."

"You're pretty close to evil, I'd say. Look at your father, he's a Death Eater."

"Don't go there, Weasley. You barely even know me. You shouldn't judge me based on what you know of my father. We're not the same person, if you haven't realized that," he snapped at her, his eyes flashing menacingly.

"Of course, you're not the same person, I'm not stupid. You are, however, always completely rude and abrasive to my family, friends, and pretty much everyone else, not to mention full of yourself."

"I'll admit to it that I am rather... unkind at times, but-"

"See? You admitted it yourself," Ginny interrupted him.

"Weasley, would you give me a chance to speak? First off, do you think I live to only insult everyone around? I don't, in case you thought so. Secondly, to remind you once again, you don't even know me well enough to say who I am. I'm sorry if you can't see past this idea that I must be this evil prat."

Ginny didn't say anything after he spoke. She just looked at Draco awkwardly, and Draco could tell that she had to be wondering if he was actually being serious.

After a moment or so of silence, Draco spoke again, “I'll stop bothering you, Weasley, I need to get going. See you around." He smirked again and headed back toward the castle leaving Ginny pondering about what exactly just happened.

 _I never thought I'd change my opinion again  
_ _But you moved me in a way that I've never known  
_ _You moved me in a way that I've never known_

After the unusual conversation, Ginny wasn't sure what to think. Draco Malfoy had shown a... gasp... _nice_ side, or at least what a nice side for Malfoy would be, and Ginny never thought that was even possible. Surely, she thought, something was wrong. Draco Malfoy wasn't even somewhat nice, ever, until now.

It wasn't just the one day that he was like that either. For the next few weeks and even months, Draco was rather civil to Ginny. He wasn't rude to her. Talk about a shock to Ginny at first, but then Ginny started to like him acting like this. For one thing, it was better than him being rude to her.

It got to a point where the two would meet up occasionally in various places and talk. Ginny would have actual civilized conversations with Draco. He'd still have his sarcasm and witty remarks for some typical banter, but he wouldn't insult her. She felt as if she was getting to know the real Draco Malfoy, not the cruel Draco Malfoy that everyone else knew. There was something about him acting civil that lured her to him, and she admittedly enjoyed their conversations. She was getting rather fond of talking with him. In fact, there were times where she wondered if she even fancied him. The thought scared her, but the more she got to know Draco, the stronger her feelings for him got. Underneath his cold exterior, there was someone that a person could learn to like, maybe even love.

 _But straight away you just moved into position again  
_ _You abused me in a way that I've never known  
_ _You abused me in a way that I've never known_

Then, as unexpectedly as when he first talked to her in a decent manner, Draco all the sudden went back to being the mean git that Ginny had hated. He went back to calling her the "littlest of the poor, filthy, Mudblood-loving Weasley family."

He acted as if nothing ever happened, and it bothered her a great deal. What happened to make him so nasty again? He was the one who caused her to rethink her idea of him, and now he goes back to being what he said he wasn't?

 _So break me shake me hate me take me over  
_ _When the madness stops then you will be alone  
_ _Just break me shake me hate me take me over  
_ _When the madness stops then you will be alone_

Before his sudden change back to being cruel, even if they were in public, he wouldn't insult her. He would be respectful to her no matter where they were.

Now, whenever he would see her in the halls, he ignored her most of the time. She would try to make eye contact with him, but he rarely looked at her anymore. The only time he did look at her was when he was insulting her, and his insults were as malicious as ever.

Though, when it was just him and her, no one else around, he would sometimes talk to her as if he had never been cruel to her. During their conversation Ginny would bring it up about the rudeness or him ignoring her, but Draco would dismiss it and give some odd excuse.

Then, other times when it was just the two of them, he'd again be harsh to her.

 _So you're the kind that deals with the games in the mind  
_ _Well you confuse me in a way that I've never known  
_ _You confuse me in a way that I've never known_

Draco confused Ginny. She didn't understand why he would be civil to her one moment then the next moment he would be completely rude again. There had to be something going on with him, or maybe he was just the type to mess with people’s minds.

 _So break me shake me hate me take me over  
_ _When the madness stops then you will be alone  
_ _Just break me shake me hate me take me over  
_ _When the madness stops then you will be alone_

_You just keep me contemplating, that your soul is slowly fading_

Ginny would lay awake and think about him at night. Sometimes it took her forever to fall asleep. She couldn't get her mind off Draco, even her dreams were consumed with the blond headed boy.

She would wonder about who he truly was, he had said that he wasn't evil, but could she believe him? Why was he acting so odd lately? Thousands of questions about him went through her head, questions she may never know the answers to.

 _God don't you know I live with a ton of regret?  
_ _'Cause I used to move you in a way that you've never known  
_ _But then I accused you in a way that you've never known  
_ _But you hurt me in a way that I've never known..._

In hopes of learning the answers to her questions, Ginny met Draco in an empty corridor one night after dinner. She wanted to confront him and get a few things straight. Thankfully no one was around, so it was the perfect time to talk.

She saw him standing and looking out a window with an unreadable expression on his face, waiting for her. She could tell that something was bothering him by the way he looked. Coming up next to him, Ginny spoke quietly, "Draco, what's been up with you lately? One minute you're actually being decent, the next minute you're back to being the typical Slytherin prat."

He turned his head toward her and looked at her with his distant grey eyes. Ginny drew back a little from him, something about the way he looked almost frightened her.

"That whole nice guy thing wasn't real. Even if it were real, nothing would have ever been able to happen between us," he said while looking straight into Ginny's eyes.

"What are you talking about?" Ginny asked confused. "I thought that there was something between us until you started acting all weird. I just-"

"I don't care, Weasley. I just said this whole being nice thing was faked. Got it? I'm not that person nor will I ever be that person. It was all a lie. Why would I ever want to become friends with you, a filthy _Weasley_ , anyway? I'm a Malfoy, Malfoy's don't associate with your kind," Draco said harshly though a flicker of sorrow flashed through his eyes that Ginny didn't notice. He didn't want to do this to her.

 _Break me shake me hate me take me over  
_ _When the madness stops then you will be alone  
_ _Just break me shake me hate me take me over  
_ _When the madness stops then you will be alone_

Ginny couldn't think of anything to say to that. She felt as if every part of her body was frozen. None of this felt real, it all just felt like some wild dream to her. She couldn't believe that Draco had said that. Why would he do this to her? She stood there looking into the expressionless grey eyes of Draco Malfoy and fought back her tears.

After finally finding her voice, Ginny spoke to him, "I thought we were past the whole 'I'm a Weasley, you're a Malfoy' issue."

"Whatever the circumstances, that's always going to matter." It was the truth and she couldn't accept it. Draco saw that she couldn't accept it.

There was a long pause.

"Draco—"

"Don't call me that," he said nastily.

 _Listen, baby  
_ _You'll be, you'll be alone_

"Okay, _Malfoy_ ," she purposely put emphasis on his last name, "don't you realize that if you continue to be this- this liar, this arrogant, heartless person, then no one will ever want to be around you?"

"I'm very well aware of that, and besides, I have my Slytherin friends," Draco said in a cool tone of voice.

"You call them friends? Yeah, right! Don't you need someone, anyone, who _truly_ cares about you?"

"I do not need anyone, especially not you if that's what you're getting at."

"Fine. If you want to be alone the rest of your life, go ahead."

"Theoretically, I won't be alone. There are other people in this world, you know, and-"

"What did I ever do to you?" she interrupted him suddenly, her eyes begging him to stop whatever it was that he was doing.

For a moment, he was silent staring into her watery eyes.

"Nothing," he replied indifferently.

"Then WHY are you acting like this?" Ginny shouted, losing all control over her temper.

"God, Weasley, you just don't get it! I don't want to talk to you anymore!" he snapped at her.

"Whatever, Malfoy. I can't believe I ever thought that you weren't the conceited git that you truly are. I hate you!" Her words were filled with anger and hurt.

 _Break me shake me hate me take me make me  
_ _Fake me break me shake me hate me take me_

Ginny lingered by Draco for a moment, her eyes still connected with his taking one last look at the blond boy in front of her, and then slowly she turned her back against him and walked away. The tears that she had been holding back began to flow down her cheeks soaking her robes. Not once did she look back.

She never wanted to see his face again.

_Break me_

Draco stood silently watching her retreating form. He never took his eyes off her as she walked away and disappeared. He hated to see Ginny so hurt. He felt horrible, yet he had to do this to her for reasons she would never know. He had to otherwise things wouldn't turn out well. She did mean something to him, but she would never know his feelings about her.

Then again, maybe he could have gone about this whole situation in a different way instead of hurting her so much...

Why did he have to be so cruel to her? "... _the conceited git that you truly are. I hate you!"_ Her words echoed in his mind.

He swore out loud, how he hated himself right then.

He had broken her.

And he had lost his chance to ever get her back and fix her. She would never come back to him after what he did.

“I’m sorry, Ginny,” he whispered.


End file.
